SC defers Class XII exams plea to Mon.

The Supreme Court on Friday deferred hearing to May 31 on a public interest plea to cancel the Class XII examination of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Council for Indian School Certificate Examination (ICSE) for the academic year 2020-21 to protect the lives of students in view of the current second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Asking the petitioner’s advocate Mamta Sharma to serve the copy of her petition to the CBSE, ICSE, the Centre and on the office of Attorney General, a bench comprising Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice Dinesh Maheshwari observed that the government may take a decision on the fate of the exams by Monday.

“We permit the petitioner-in-person to serve advance copy on the standing counsel for the respondent(s), namely, Central Agency, Central Board of Secondary Education, Indian School Certificate Examination, and also the office of the learned Attorney General for India”, the court said while deferring the hearing for Monday.

“Be optimistic. Maybe by Monday some resolution will be in your favour. We will hear the matter on Monday,” the Bench told petitioner advocate.

Appearing in person, Mamta Sharma referred to June 26, 2020, top court giving nod to CBSE decision to cancel board examination of the remaining papers of class X and XII in the wake of pandemic,

Noting that the fate of some 12 lakh students hangs on the top court decision, Mamta Sharma in her petition has asserted that the grievances highlighted in her writ petition are squarely covered in the last year's judgment on Class X and Class XII exams of the Central Board of Secondary Education.

She has also annexed a list of 77 students who approached her for the purpose to establish her bonafide. The Centre had consulted the states on the CBSE examination and their responses were expected by Friday to enable it to firm up a final decision and declare it by June 1.